Aspiration instruments, sometimes known as yankauers, are necessary surgical tools used to remove fluids, such as blood, from a patient's body during surgical procedures. Conventional yankauers are constructed to have a handle and a body that define a fluid passageway for removing fluid from the surgical site. The handles and bodies of yankauers are manufactured in a variety of configurations and sizes for numerous applications. Long bodied yankauers are used to aspirate fluids from deep within a body cavity, while narrow bodied, fine tipped yankauers are appropriate for more precise fluid removal. The proximal end of the yankauer handle is configured to operatively connect with a vacuum source. The yankauer may be connected to the vacuum source by tube, hose, or the like.
Yankauers used to aspirate fluids from within the body cavity may come in contact with internal organs and other delicate tissue. These tissues are extremely sensitive and any minor contact with a yankauer can result in bruising or other injury to the tissue. The actual contact between the yankauer and the tissue does not need to be forceful to cause injury. Many prior art yankauers are made of rigid materials, including biocompatible metals, PVC, and other hard plastics. The use of rigid yankauers increases the risk of injury to the body tissues.
In addition to damage caused by incidental contact with the yankauer while aspirating the body cavity, delicate tissue may also be injured when the suction for removing fluids actually suctions a portion of the tissue into the distal end of the yankauer. Separating the tissue from the distal end of the yankauer, without releasing the suction may cause tearing or other serious injury to the tissue. The rigid materials from which the yankauers are constructed only exacerbate the injury.
Vents formed near the distal end of the yankauer are employed to help reduce the suction when the opening in the distal end becomes completely obstructed by tissue. Rather than continuing to suction on the tissue, the vents operate to divert the suction through openings in the side wall of the distal end of the yankauer. While the vents help to minimize damage to the tissue, the vents also reduce the efficiency of the yankauer in removing fluids from the body cavity. In addition to vents, yankauers may also be constructed with a valve member. The most simple valve member is an opening in the side of the handle. In order for the yankauer to suction through the opening in the distal end the opening must be covered. In the event tissue is suctioned into the yankauer the opening can be uncovered and the tissue may be separated from the yankauer. A valve member allows an operator to quickly stop the tissue from proceeding any further into the yankauer and cause and further damage. Unfortunately, once the operator realizes the tissue has been suctioned into the yankauer, the tissue has already incurred injury. In other valve member designs, the suction through the distal end of the yankauer is stopped by merely obstructing, or sealing, the end from the vacuum source. Simply obstructing the suction does not release the suction that already holds the tissue, increasing the potential for injury to the tissue when it is separated from hold of the yankauer. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a yankauer that utilizes a compliant protective guard to minimize risk of injury to organs or other body tissue.